@girlgoneabroad: If you’ve ever moved abroad…I’m sure you feel this too 🥹 3 years of living in the Netherlands… In July 2020, mid-pandemic, I found myself on a train from London to Amsterdam. I’d never stepped foot in the Netherlands before, and what started out as a six week plan somehow turned into three years. (This seems to be a recurring theme in my life: “I’m going to Thailand for six months!” Two years later…) This audio really resonates with me for a number of reasons - but mostly, the point it makes about knowing all too well the feeling of belonging and not really belonging. I felt like I belonged for the first 27 years of my life, and then I booked a one-way ticket to Bangkok and haven’t felt like I’ve belonged anywhere since. And I’ve come to realize that I’ll probably never feel that way again. I enjoy living in the Netherlands, but I’ve certainly never felt completely at home. And even if I were to move back to the US - it would never be back to my hometown (where I have very few ties left anyway). Anywhere I decide to live going forward, I won’t be a native of that place. And I’ll have to build up my community. And it’s all just very strange, this life I’ve chosen. I really love living abroad, and have an insatiable desire to see as much of the world as I can, but the consequence of that is always feeling like a bit of an outsider. I’ve been asking myself a lot of questions lately and trying to figure out where I truly want to be. That’s a story for another day, but if any of you have moved abroad and relate to this crazy feeling of living in the in-between, or better yet, if you’ve found the place you feel like you belong, I’d love to hear from you. . Audio: @EMME . #expatlife #expat #digitalnomad #digitalnomadlife #livingabroad

Lauren

Open In TikTok:

Region: NL

Sunday 13 August 2023 20:43:11 GMT